Innocence
by HeiHuoGongzhu
Summary: Eleven year old Kunzite has been told his whole life that he will one day be the great leader of the Shitennou, the guardians of young Prince Endymion. Interacting with the three troublesome boys makes Kunzite question his ability to fulfill his duty, but he realizes that he has to be their for them regardless as a leader, a guardian, and a friend. {{Kid generals}} {{No couples}}
1. For Them, Kunzite

**Author's note: I absolutely love the Shitennou and I decided to write about their childhood. This is chapter one of _Innocence_. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy it!**

**Here are the ages of the Shitennou (roughly) in this story assuming that, in the manga and anime, Zoisite is 16 (2 years old), Jadeite is 18 (4 years old), Nephrite is 19 (5 years old), and Kunzite is 25 (11 years old).**

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Sailor Moon_, characters, rights, etc. and I have no intention of making any money from this story.**

* * *

Young, icy, platinum eyes blankly gazed at three children happily playing by the clear Elysion pond. The young eleven year old boy with silver, shoulder-length hair rested his elbow on the stone table and leaned his head into his knuckles. Two of the children in the distance held small, wooden swords clumsily in their hands as they playfully shouted at each other in their best heroic voices. The third child, and youngest at two years old, stood by the elder's side as he pulled on his sleeve. The oldest of the three looked down at the wide-eyed toddler through his blue eyes and shaggy brown hair. The toddler gazed up at the boy with eager, sparkling green eyes.

"Go away, Zoisite," the five-year-old said as he tried to shoo the toddler away. In his other hand, he held out his wooden sword toward his companion. "I am Nephrite, a mighty soldier of Elysion and a great hero of Earth!" Zoisite was knocked backward as Nephrite pushed on his shoulder. Zoisite's curly copper hair fell to his face as he sat on the ground. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. He pushed himself to his feet and persistently pulled on Nephrite's sleeve.

"I wanna play, too," Zoisite whined.

The other boy dropped his sword to his side and ran a hand over his blonde waves. "You can't," he said in the best authoritative voice a four-year-old could manage. "You're not _old enough_ to use a sword," he said mockingly.

"Yeah-huh," Zoisite protested as he crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.

"_Ignore_ him, Jadeite," Nephrite said as he turned his head away from the pouting toddler. "Go away, Zoisite!"

The two boys resumed their game as they smacked the toy swords together while shouting the same playful threats.

"You will never defeat me," shouted Jadeite as he swung his sword back and forth.

"Oh, yeah?" replied Nephrite as he put a hand on his hip. "I'm older. That means I'm better than you."

"Says who?" questioned Jadeite amusedly. "Just because you're older doesn't mean that you are better than me."

"Yes it does," retorted Nephrite. The senseless bickering came to an end as both boys raised their swords and resumed their playful dual.

Meanwhile, the silver-haired boy felt a slight, barely noticeable tug at his side. Beside him stood Zoisite who was attempting to retrieve the sheathed short sword at his waist.

"I wanna play," pouted Zoisite as the childish irritation grew in his expression.

"Zoisite, no," the boy harshly stated. He turned in his seat so the sword was not within the toddler's reach.

"Kuzi wanna play?" asked the wide-eyed child.

"Kunzite does _not_ want to play," the boy responded coldly, though he had to admit, Zoisite was incredibly adorable which made it hard for anyone to tell him 'no.' He had big, bright emerald-green eyes and golden-copper hair that always hung loose around his cheeks. He was also significantly smaller than most children his age.

"Why?" Zoisite innocently questioned.

"I just don't want to," Kunzite responded as he turned back around to rest his head in his hand as he had been doing.

"Kuzi wanna play," repeated the child; though, this time, it was not a question.

"No," enunciated Kunzite, "I don't." Zoisite was stubborn and always had been, even before he could talk.

"Yes," Zoisite persisted with an impish grin. He crossed his arms. He was a two-year-old with a strong-minded, unbreakable attitude; and where he learned it, no one knows.

After a moment with no response from his elder, the irritated child climbed up onto the bench and onto the table and sat directly in front of Kunzite's line of vision and, as usual, crossed his arms. Kunzite narrowed his gaze on the child and briefly sat in silence before picking him up in defeat and carrying him to the other boys who were still dueling with their wooden swords.

"You're not even holding it right," Kunzite criticized as he gestured toward Jadeite's grip on the toy. He was holding his wooden sword above the grip where the blade should be.

"You're stupid, Kunzite," pouted the blonde boy. "I can hold it however I want to." He turned his head and stuck his nose in the air.

"No, you can't," Kunzite impatiently responded. "If you were holding a _real_ sword, your hand would be cut." He set Zoisite down on the ground beside him and reached for the sword Jadeite held in his hand.

Jadeite jerked the sword from Kunzite's reach. "No!" he said fiercely.

"Can't I show you how to hold it?" asked Kunzite irritably as he clenched his hands into fists.

"No," Jadeite pouted as he crossed his arms like he had seen Zoisite do many times.

Kunzite chuckled. "That doesn't have quite the same effect when you do it." He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "I can teach you how to use that sword properly," he proposed.

"Nooooo," Jadeite repeated childishly as he raised the hand with the sword, showing Kunzite how he was holding it. "Maybe _you_ don't know how to hold it."

"I do!" Kunzite shouted.

"How do you know _you're_ right?" asked Nephrite as he was trying to hide a mischievous smile.

"I _am_ right," Kunzite protested as he gripped his hands into fists.

"No you're not," Jadeite singsonged as he waved his hand with the sword.

Kunzite growled as he raised his hands in defeat and stormed away from the two giggling children. "Why do I even bother with you two?" he shouted as he stormed off.

••••••••••••••••••••

Kunzite sat on a lone marble bench a ways from Nephrite and Jadeite who were still playing. He slouched in his seat and glared at the children that had caused his pounding headache.

"Kunzite," said a soft, loving voice from behind him. A gentle hand rested on his shoulder. "Do not be so quick to become irritated with them, my son." The woman stepped around the bench and gracefully sat next to Kunzite. She was exceptionally beautiful, even in the eyes of the handsome civilians of Elysion. Her thick snow-white hair hung in a loose braid that rested below her slender back. Her eyes were gracefully feline and were colored a piercing blue-gray. Her skin was smooth and fair. She wore a floor-length velvet dress colored gray with a light blue accent and was trimmed with glistening silver.

"Every time I try to be patient with them, they don't take me seriously," Kunzite said as he pressed his hands to his forehead. "How am I expected to teach them _anything?_" Kunzite recalled what he had been told his whole life.

"Give them time," his mother softly added. "They are still young and _you_ are still young."

"But you always told me that I will be their leader one day," Kunzite replied in confusion. He ran his hand over the back of his head. "I won't be a very good leader if I can't control them."

"Then do not try to control them, Kunzite," said his mother as she looked toward the two boys in the distance. Rather than playing with the swords, they were wading around in the pond, splashing each other and trying to push each other into the water. "One day, they will listen. I promise."

"Do I not have a choice, Mama?" asked Kunzite as he shifted his gaze down. "What if I don't want to be a leader?"

"The prince will need you, one day," replied his mother. "It will be an honor to serve him, Kunzite."

Kunzite felt a tugging on his sleeve. He looked to his side to see Zoisite gazing at him with wide-eyes, though he looked sad. "Kuzi sad," the child whimpered. Zoisite innocently handed Kunzite a small purple flower. "Kuzi feel better?"

Kunzite held the flower between his forefinger and thumb and absentmindedly spun it between his fingers. He smiled and nodded. "Kunzite feels better," he reassured the child as he picked him up and set him in his lap.

"That boy is strong," Kunzite's mother said as she glanced toward her son and the young toddler he held. "He will never know family as you do, yet he seems to be the happiest of the four of you."

Kunzite felt sadness as he recalled the fate of Zoisite's parents. He remembered that the boy's mother died during childbirth and his father left only weeks before his mother gave birth. Kunzite wondered what life would be like for little Zoisite since he could not even imagine such a circumstance. He also remembered the Nephrite and Jadeite shared a similar situation. Neither of them knew their parents, either.

"You _have_ to be there for them, Kunzite," said his mother as she looked at him directly. She gave him a soft, loving smile.

Kunzite looked to his mother and gave her a slight, reassuring nod before returning his focus to Zoisite who had leaned into his shoulder and fell asleep.

"I will be," he replied in a whisper.

* * *

**Well, thanks again for reading! I really hope you enjoyed it. There should be more to come, soon (even though this isn't my main writing project right now). If you don't care, leave a comment or a review. I would really appreciate it.**

**Thank you for your time :)**

**-Midna (HeiHuoGongzhu)**


	2. First Lessons

**Author's note: Happy Friday! That means that another chapter of ****_Innocence_**** has been written! I have thoroughly enjoyed the time I have spent working on this story. I just love imagining my four favorite kings as children :3 I hope you enjoy this week's chapter!**

* * *

"Today," Kunzite began as he paced before Jadeite, Nephrite, and Zoisite who stood before him in a line, "I will teach you how to _properly_ use those swords." He came to a stop before Jadeite. He pushed a stray stand of silver hair behind his ear and put his hands to his sides. He waited in silence for a reaction from the stubborn four-year-old. "By 'properly,' I mean like _this_," he said as he drew his own sword and held it by the grip. Jadeite slipped his hand down his wooden sword and mimicked Kunzite's hold.

Before beginning his day, Kunzite had hoped that the children would cooperate. The previous day reminded Kunzite that making them mind did not seem entirely promising. Jadeite and Nephrite were always harder to handle when together and Zoisite was only two, so he did not have sense of responsibility. He recalled his mother's words from the day before. "Then do not try to control them, Kunzite." He wondered how he was supposed to get them to cooperate and if they ever would on their own free will. All three were stubborn, rash, and independent. The three of them together created a potential nightmare for Kunzite.

"For now, we will work on a simple vertical strike," Kunzite said as he demonstrated by raising his sword and striking downward in one quick, fluid motion. "Your turn," he said as he nodded toward the wooden swords that Nephrite and Jadeite held in their hands. Both boys raised their swords to practice their swings. Nephrite's form was closest to being correct, whereas Jadeite clumsily lifted the sword behind his head before striking downward. Kunzite sighed as he examined the four-year-old's form. "Jadeite, you don't need to raise your sword _that_ far above your head." He stepped up beside the young boy and positioned his little hands for the proper form. "You don't want your enemy to see your attack coming."

Jadeite looked to Kunzite in confusion. "But if he can't see it coming, then how is he supposed to block?"

Kunzite narrowed his eyes on the child. "If he's your enemy, you don't want him to block." His response hinted frustration, but he tried to stay calm and patient. He remembered that Jadeite and Nephrite liked to play by "sparring" with their swords. Given this fact, Kunzite was taken aback by the validity of the child's question. "One day," Kunzite began, "You will be using a real sword—possibly against a real enemy. It's not always going to a game."

"Oh," responded Jadeite as he shifted his gaze away from Kunzite and lowered his head.

Kunzite felt a tugging at his boot. "I wan' try," pleaded Zoisite as he looked toward Kunzite who seemed to tower over his tiny body.

Kunzite turned to the youngest child and knelt before him. "Mama would have my head if I gave _you_ a sword, Zoisite."

The toddler narrowed his eyes and wrinkled his tiny nose in disgust. He crossed his pale arms and stomped away. He found a resting spot at the base of willow tree.

Kunzite continued to observe the two boys as they swung their swords in a vertical motion. Nephrite showed potential while Jadeite lacked balance. It would not be too much of a problem, for now. Both were still very young, but Kunzite was determined to turn them into the best warriors Elysion would ever see—even if they _were_ only four and five years old.

"You're getting better at this, Nephrite," Kunzite praised as he crossed his arms and nodded his head. "Now let's try a horizontal strike." He drew his sword and demonstrated the form by swiftly slicing the air in a horizontal motion. The younger boys stood in awe as they heard the _swoosh_ of the wind as their teacher's sword cut through the air.

Kunzite could not help but smile as the children struggled to hold the wooden swords parallel to the ground. The tips of both swords slightly angled down as the wielders' strength could not support the weight with one hand. Jadeite seemed most disappointed at his lack of strength as he narrowed his eyes and wrinkled his nose. Kunzite chuckled. "You'll be able to hold it straight one day."

"I bored." Zoisite stood behind Kunzite.

"You're always bored," replied Kunzite coolly as he crossed his arms and shifted his weight to one side. He did not turn to face the child. Instead, he kept his focus on Jadeite and Nephrite.

"Play a game?" asked Zoisite as he circled around to stand in front of Kunzite. He innocently gazed up to him with his big, emerald eyes.

"No," Kunzite enunciated, still not steering his attention from the two boys.

Annoyed at rejection, he thought he could get the attention of Jadeite. The toddler made his way to the blonde child and stood behind him. He reached for the child's arm and tugged on his sleeve, only to be knocked backward by his elbow.

"Go away!" growled Jadeite as he turned his head toward Zoisite who sat on the ground behind him. The toddler's eyes filled with tears as helplessly stared at the boy in terror.

Zoisite rubbed the corner of his eye with his knuckles before he climbed to his feet and ran toward the castle.

The three remaining children watched as the youngest ran off. Kunzite jerked his head to face Jadeite. "What did you do that for?" he roared as he clenched his hands into fists.

"He always bothers us," snapped Jadeite as he crossed his arms.

"Yeah," Kunzite began, "but you didn't have to do _that_!"

"You were being mean to him, too," Nephrite stated in Jadeite's defense. "You don't want him here, either."

Kunzite stood speechless. He felt a sharp pain in his chest. The words stood true, and they were a spoken by a _child_. Kunzite lowered his head. He felt terrible, but he could not bring himself to admit that Nephrite was right. Most of the time, he _did not_ want Zoisite around.

••••••••••••••••••••

Zoisite wandered the halls of the Elysion castle. His pale cheeks were tear-stained and he held his small hand to his face where Jadeite had hit him. He did not know where he was. Nothing looked familiar to him. His little head began to hurt from the impact on his cheek. When he blinked, another tear fell from his eye. Before him, he saw a large, golden, double-door. It shimmered with silver and crystal. Zoisite was startled by the sound of soft footsteps as someone approached behind him. He turned around to see a boy, a few years older than Kunzite, with short white hair. His outfit was white with blue accents and his kind eyes shined and looked as if they were made of pure gold.

Zoisite took a step backwards. The boy did not look familiar to him.

The white-haired boy knelt in front of Zoisite so he did not have to look up at him. The child was comforted a bit by this action. The boy did not seem as threatening this way.

"Are you lost?" asked the golden-eyed boy as he held his hand out to Zoisite who willingly took it.

••••••••••••••••••••

Panic set in Kunzite's stomach as he frantically paced the halls of the castle. He would occasionally call out Zoisite's name when he knew no one else was around. The thought of anyone finding out that he let Zoisite out of his sight terrified him.

••••••••••••••••••••

"I'm gonna be in trouble," Jadeite whined as he rested his head in his arms on the table.

"Not if no one finds out," Nephrite replied as he kicked his feet at the grass. "Kunzite's too scared to tell."

"Ya' think so?" asked Jadeite as he hopefully looked up to his friend.

"Lady Chione won't find out unless Kunzite tells her," laughed Nephrite. "She could find out from Zoisite, but he won't tell." Nephrite snickered as he rolled his eyes. "She's Kunzite's mama, so she won't do anything to us, right?"

"But," Jadeite stuttered. He contemplated his near future. He wondered if Lady Chione _would_ punish him. She was not his mother, but she was the closest to a mother he had ever known. She never raised her voice, but she would still discipline them. How could Nephrite be so sure?

Nephrite interrupted Jadeite's thoughts. "It's getting dark. Let's play hide and seek in the castle."

Jadeite nodded and the two boys rose from the table and ran toward the castle.

••••••••••••••••••••

Kunzite felt as if he had circled the entire castle. There was still no sight of the two-year-old. He pressed his palms to his head and squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to relieve the frustration. He opened his eyes to see the figure of someone approaching in the distance. He stood up straight and pushed a strand of silver hair behind his ear. His platinum eyes widened as the figure became clear.

A white-haired, golden-eyed boy stood gracefully before him.

"Helios!" Kunzite exclaimed as he placed his fist over his heart and lowered his head.

"Did you _lose_ something, Kunzite?" asked Helios as Zoisite shyly peered from behind the boy's leg.

"Zoisite," Kunzite said through his breath as he sighed in relief.

Kunzite turned as he heard quick, small footsteps run up behind him. Kunzite took a step the side and Helios and Zoisite became visible to the brown-haired child. The boy's expression was instantly shadowed in fear. Jadeite soon followed and stood beside Nephrite. He lowered his head and turned slightly toward his friend.

"We _are_ in trouble, Nephrite," Jadeite pouted under his breath.

* * *

**Author's note: Oh no... What's going to happen to Kunzite, Jadeite, and Nephrite? And what about poor little Zoisite?**

**Kunzite's mother has been named! Lady Chione-the beautiful, graceful lady of snow and ice (inspired by the Greek goddess of snow). I thought it was rather fitting for her ;)**

**And about Helios-for some reason, I picture him as this never-aging, immortal teenager who is wise beyond his years. That's how I like to portray him, anyway. Even when the generals have grown, he still looks like a child (more accurately, a teenager). This way, he is ****_always there_****.**

**Anyways... Thank you for reading! Hopefully I will have chapter 3 posted next Friday.**


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